Military's Recruiting Troubles Extend to Affluent War Supporters

[Nerm]

I love the logic used in this article. I think we should get an article like this every week.

Next week... those who support being “tough on crime” don’t tell their kids to become prison guards.

The week after... those who enjoy mechanically sound cars don’t tell their kids to become mechanics.

The week after... those who want higher taxes don’t tell their kids to be IRS agents.

The week after... those who hate forest fires don’t tell their kids to become firefighters.

The week after... those who think we should work to cure cancer don’t tell their kids to become medical researchers.

That last group really chaps my ***. They SAY they think we should try to cure cancer... but when the rubber meets the road they are not urging their children to become medical researchers. Hypocrites!

[Ænima]

I love the logic used in this article. I think we should get an article like this every week.

Next week... those who support being “tough on crime” don’t tell their kids to become prison guards.

The week after... those who enjoy mechanically sound cars don’t tell their kids to become mechanics.

The week after... those who want higher taxes don’t tell their kids to be IRS agents.

The week after... those who hate forest fires don’t tell their kids to become firefighters.

The week after... those who think we should work to cure cancer don’t tell their kids to become medical researchers.

That last group really chaps my ***. They SAY they think we should try to cure cancer... but when the rubber meets the road they are not urging their children to become medical researchers. Hypocrites!

:notworthy :laugh: That was great.

Also this logic could apply to those who oppose the war but are not actively protesting it in the streets. Protesting is a hell of a lot easier than fighting a war, so whats your excuse lefties? And why stop at protesting, if you really are against this war why not go down to Iraq and make yourselves human shields?

[Prosperity]

:notworthy :laugh: That was great.

Also this logic could apply to those who oppose the war but are not actively protesting it in the streets. Protesting is a hell of a lot easier than fighting a war, so whats your excuse lefties? And why stop at protesting, if you really are against this war why not go down to Iraq and make yourselves human shields?

what are you rambling about?

[Ænima]

what are you rambling about?

I thought I was quite clear, but to sum it up this whole "you can't support the war if you aren't fighting it" nonsense is well, nonsense.

[Destino]

Let's cut the bull**** in this thread shall we? If you 100% behind the war effort as long as it doesn't affect your family in anyway and you are actively turning your kids away from military service there is without a doubt a little hypocrisy in your position. Give me all the poorly thought out similar situations or nonsensical ramblings you like, but we can all still see the hypocrisy in that position. Plugging your ears and screaming lalalalala until you can't hear the obvious isn't going to change it so have some intellectual honesty and admit it, cowards.

This does not however mean that the position is a wrong one.

The opportunity cost of enlisting for the children of wealthy Americans. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the concept every decision made concerning how to spend your time comes at the expense of other available options, this is the opportunity cost. With the help of their parents, kids from wealthy families have the opportunity to graduate from a good school and make a lot of money very quickly, if they aren’t already. Enlisting will push this back by four years, this isn’t even taking into consideration their possible damaged mental and/or physical state upon returning from war and what effects it could have. The bottom line is that enlisting will cost them a great deal in earnings even if everything goes right.

Compare that situation to the incentive to join kids from poorer backgrounds are faced with. They could try to work and go to school, but many of us know how difficult that can be. (I do anyway) Or they can earn the instant respect brought by a uniform making them more attractive to employers and earn a great deal of money for college, all while earning money. They do not face great financial losses by enlisting; in fact, they stand to gain much.

[redman]

Great read, and it poses an interesting dichotomy, why are people who support the war the least willing to truly support the war with their family?

Where did you see that dichotomy? I saw a few anecdotes and then your editorialization.

[Nerm]

Destino,

Lets say that I advised my child not to be a doctor because of high levels of stress, addiction, and suicide among doctors. Would you say I was a hypocrite if I supported a policy that included increased provision of medical services to the public?

Would you say that those who do not purposely pay more than they owe in taxes are hypocrites if they argue for increased taxation?

[Prosperity]

Destino,

Lets say that I advised my child not to be a doctor because of high levels of stress, addiction, and suicide among doctors. Would you say I was a hypocrite if I supported a policy that included increased provision of medical services to the public?

Would you say that those who do not purposely pay more than they owe in taxes are hypocrites if they argue for increased taxation?

If you made other people become doctors or told them to work harder and become more stressed then, yes

[Fred Jones]

Let's cut the bull**** in this thread shall we? If you 100% behind the war effort as long as it doesn't affect your family in anyway and you are actively turning your kids away from military service there is without a doubt a little hypocrisy in your position. Give me all the poorly thought out similar situations or nonsensical ramblings you like, but we can all still see the hypocrisy in that position. Plugging your ears and screaming lalalalala until you can't hear the obvious isn't going to change it so have some intellectual honesty and admit it, cowards.

This does not however mean that the position is a wrong one.

The opportunity cost of enlisting for the children of wealthy Americans. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the concept every decision made concerning how to spend your time comes at the expense of other available options, this is the opportunity cost. With the help of their parents, kids from wealthy families have the opportunity to graduate from a good school and make a lot of money very quickly, if they aren’t already. Enlisting will push this back by four years, this isn’t even taking into consideration their possible damaged mental and/or physical state upon returning from war and what effects it could have. The bottom line is that enlisting will cost them a great deal in earnings even if everything goes right.

Compare that situation to the incentive to join kids from poorer backgrounds are faced with. They could try to work and go to school, but many of us know how difficult that can be. (I do anyway) Or they can earn the instant respect brought by a uniform making them more attractive to employers and earn a great deal of money for college, all while earning money. They do not face great financial losses by enlisting; in fact, they stand to gain much.

Yeah we didn't need any cowboys on the team anyway

Good post Destino. Let someone else pay the price for freedom.

[Thiebear]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-07-17-soldiers-re-enlist_x.htm

Looks like so many are re-enlisting its making up for 33% of the Enlistments.

Due to a combination of the Money or they just get it... Since initial enlistments get the good money also, I'd have to guess theirs just a little more....

I did 11 years but wouldnt push my girls to enlist.. I doubt I would push my boy if i had one either.... I wouldnt say no though...

I DON'T want someone in that doesn't want to be there.........

[SEF]

Destino,

Lets say that I advised my child not to be a doctor because of high levels of stress, addiction, and suicide among doctors. Would you say I was a hypocrite if I supported a policy that included increased provision of medical services to the public?

Would you say that those who do not purposely pay more than they owe in taxes are hypocrites if they argue for increased taxation?

Boy, this really struck a nerve, huh?

[BlueTalon]

If you made other people become doctors or told them to work harder and become more stressed then, yes

Who is making anyone join the all volunteer armed forces?!?

I recall seeing a thread like this earlier. Missed in a lot of that thread, and being missed again here, is that it is an all volunteer force. If mommy and daddy won't let poor baby join the Army, then baby just has to wait a year. (16-year-olds can't legally sign up. 17-year-olds can sign up with parental permission, and 18-year-olds don't need permission. So if baby is in a position where he could join but mommy is stopping him, he just has to wait a few months.)

If some rich flatulant rightwing *itch won't allow her kid to join because her people just don't do that, and if sonny lets her make his decisions for him, chances are he'd wash out in the first couple of weeks of basic training anyway.

I really don't get what all the fuss is about. So what if rich kids don't join, and poor kids do? I remind you all, this is an all volunteer force. Meaning, they have to compensate recruits with higher pay and more benefits than in previous years in order to be competitive and get people to join. If a poor kid decides that it's a good way for him to

get some training

get an education

get a steady paycheck

work in a colorblind environment

see parts of the world he'd never see otherwise

become part of something bigger than he is

and

if he's his own man and isn't letting mommy run his life,

then who the heck are any of you to question that?

[Nerm]

If you made other people become doctors or told them to work harder and become more stressed then, yes

Well, I guess I will not be supporting anything that would result in more patients being able to see doctors. LOL!

There are a lot of occupations that I would advise my child to avoid. I guess I will not be able to support any government policy that includes one of those occupations.

That puts me in a bind. I would advise my child not to be president (I really think only crazy people would want the job). This is a conundrum. Am I a hypocrite if I vote for someone else to be president? How can I ask someone else to do what I wouldn’t want my child doing? Do I need to actively support a political party that seeks to abolish the position of the presidency? That seems absolutely moronic... but I wouldn’t want be a hypocrite.

I could really use some help from the people who see logic in the “hypocrisy” that the article points out.

On a side note. I am not a Bush voter. I think the war was a bad idea from the beginning, but, in my opinion, pulling out at this point is not a viable option.

[Prosperity]

Who is making anyone join the all volunteer armed forces?!?

I recall seeing a thread like this earlier. Missed in a lot of that thread, and being missed again here, is that it is an all volunteer force. If mommy and daddy won't let poor baby join the Army, then baby just has to wait a year. (16-year-olds can't legally sign up. 17-year-olds can sign up with parental permission, and 18-year-olds don't need permission. So if baby is in a position where he could join but mommy is stopping him, he just has to wait a few months.)

If some rich flatulant rightwing *itch won't allow her kid to join because her people just don't do that, and if sonny lets her make his decisions for him, chances are he'd wash out in the first couple of weeks of basic training anyway.

I really don't get what all the fuss is about. So what if rich kids don't join, and poor kids do? I remind you all, this is an all volunteer force. Meaning, they have to compensate recruits with higher pay and more benefits than in previous years in order to be competitive and get people to join. If a poor kid decides that it's a good way for him to

get some training

get an education

get a steady paycheck

work in a colorblind environment

see parts of the world he'd never see otherwise

become part of something bigger than he is

and

if he's his own man and isn't letting mommy run his life,

then who the heck are any of you to question that?

joining is voluntary, but actually going to war is up to us (for the most part).

Really I think you underestimate familial pressure, why do you think there are such things as "military families" where every generation has had something to do with the military since the Revolution. With that said, I don't have a problem with poor kids joining it is a better choice for them than the affluent ones. It would be an assy thing to ask someone to join the military if it isn't in their best interest.

[Destino]

Destino,

Lets say that I advised my child not to be a doctor because of high levels of stress, addiction, and suicide among doctors. Would you say I was a hypocrite if I supported a policy that included increased provision of medical services to the public?

Would you say that those who do not purposely pay more than they owe in taxes are hypocrites if they argue for increased taxation?

If you advocated putting all doctors in mortal danger but not YOUR doctor then yes you would be a hypocrite. I don't know what the hell you are talking about in the second example.

Look this is really very simple, people are supporting putting sons and daughters in the line of fire so long as it isn't their sons and daughters. That is almost a text book definition of hypocrisy. Now as I stated before there are other factors involved, some that are logical and even reasonable. However to continue to deny the obvious is foolish and cowardly. Accept the negatives or you'll be seen as dishonest, there are no other options.

[BlueTalon]

joining is voluntary, but actually going to war is up to us (for the most part).

Really I think you underestimate familial pressure, why do you think there are such things as "military families" where every generation has had something to do with the military since the Revolution. With that said, I don't have a problem with poor kids joining it is a better choice for them than the affluent ones. It would be an assy thing to ask someone to join the military if it isn't in their best interest.

My family is fairly bereft of servicemembers. A couple of uncles put in a tour, and one uncle re-enlisted at least one time. Apart from them, I'm it. My entire immediate family is liberal, I'm conservative. (To make up for them, I've served in three different services!)

It's possible I underestimate familial pressure. But in the sense you're thinking of, with a family tradition going back to the Revolution, I would say it's not a bad thing to do a tour for that reason alone. The military is a great place to grow up, ask any mom who saw her son immediately after basic training. So a person does a tour for family reasons then gets out -- that person still has all the benefits of having served, the same as if he'd enlisted for purely patriotic reasons. And if that same person chooses to buck tradition, so be it (just hope he's doing it for good reasons).

But the family pressure I was thinking of is the peacenik pressure of moms/others who don't want their precious child to join the military, and will even fight to keep military recruiters off campus. Why is that? Do they not trust their children to make good decisions? Apparently not. Anyway, I don't have much respect for those moms, or the young adults that continue to let mom/dad make their decisions for them. Perhaps knowing a bit about my background might help you understand my attitude a little better.

[BlueTalon]

Look this is really very simple, people are supporting putting sons and daughters in the line of fire so long as it isn't their sons and daughters. That is almost a text book definition of hypocrisy. Now as I stated before there are other factors involved, some that are logical and even reasonable. However to continue to deny the obvious is foolish and cowardly. Accept the negatives or you'll be seen as dishonest, there are no other options.

Destino, let's grant you the premise, based on one lady's outrageous (and probably racial) comment, that some people "are supporting putting sons and daughters in the line of fire so long as it isn't their sons and daughters." I'd agree, that is a hypocrital attitude. But I don't see the hypocritical actions. What tool would that particular woman do to stop her grown son, who is legally responsible for himself, from joining?

And if such a young adult is still that attached-to/afraid-of mommy, do we really want other young lives depending on him?

That's the biggest reason I'm against the draft. I don't want to have to train people with attitudes, and I don't want to have to depend on them, especially if my life depends on them.

[Destino]

Destino, let's grant you the premise, based on one lady's outrageous (and probably racial) comment, that some people "are supporting putting sons and daughters in the line of fire so long as it isn't their sons and daughters." I'd agree, that is a hypocrital attitude. But I don't see the hypocritical actions. What tool would that particular woman do to stop her grown son, who is legally responsible for himself, from joining?

Rich people have a lot of power over their children. Do what I say or the cookie jar lid gets nailed shut. You'd be surprised how effective a motivator money can be.

And if such a young adult is still that attached-to/afraid-of mommy, do we really want other young lives depending on him?

That's the biggest reason I'm against the draft. I don't want to have to train people with attitudes, and I don't want to have to depend on them, especially if my life depends on them.

I agree with you. In fact if you read my posts I stated that the position is not one without logic and reason. I just stated that it's hypocritical among other things.

[BlueTalon]

Rich people have a lot of power over their children. Do what I say or the cookie jar lid gets nailed shut. You'd be surprised how effective a motivator money can be.

I guess my point here would be that at the age of 18 or more, a young adult can make his or her mind up, even with the promise of riches/threat of no riches. So rich people only have as much power over their children as the children allow, once they become adults. Many young people join the service, whose primary motivation is to just get out of the house and stay out.

So, even if young people's parents are rich, they can decide they don't want to live that way any more. And if those young people aren't capable of making that decision, if they're that still tied to mommy and mommy's money, then they need to not be in the service anyway.

So you may have a point, but it doesn't take away from my point (not that you were trying to take away from my point. I'm just sayin'.)

[Sarge]

I think if they just offer more money especially for colleges they might get a lot of more kids in the lower brackets. Obviously this wouldn't really do much for the affluent kids, but heck even I was considering joining the military (actually the Airforce) at one point. I would have done it, but I thought it would take too much time away and coming back to college at 22+ as a freshmen would be a bit akward so I decided against it and it isn't like they would pay for all of the education anyway.

If college money is the only reason you were going to join, then don't. There's nothing that gives ma a case of the red ass worse than some kid acting surprised he's getting on a plane to go shoot at people. "BUt I just came in for the college"

However, I had my Bachlors degree from UNC paid for completely by the USAF, so there's no complaining here.

Just remember, like everything in life, there's bad with good and good with bad

[Nerm]

Destino,

There are a lot of jobs that put people in mortal danger. A lot of those jobs, I wouldn’t want my child in.

Can you give me some examples of other jobs that people think need to be done, but they are hypocrites if they would like to see the jobs get done by someone who isn’t their child.

Does this ONLY apply to the Iraq war?

For example. Being president of the U.S. If you would advise your adult child not to run for president (a much more dangerous job than being a soldier)... would you say that it is hypocritical to vote for someone else to be president? In essence not being willing to sacrifice your child for something others aspire to be.

If you advised your adult child not to become an astronaut (a very dangerous job), would you be a hypocrite if you were for manned space exploration?

If you advised your adult child not to be a firefighter, would you be a hypocrite if you thought firefighters should try to put out dangerous fires?

If you advised your adult child not to be a prison guard, would you be a hypocrite if you thought there should be tougher sentencing laws?

What if you advise your child not to be a “bomb squad” or SWAT member. Are you a hypocrite if you think there should be SWAT teams or bomb squads?

Again, how far does this logic take you. Heck, I am sitting here on my computer, but I wouldn’t want my child working on power lines. Does that make me a hypocrite because I use electricity? I am putting others in “mortal danger” to do jobs that I think need to be done.

I guess the main question is, if you wouldn’t want your child to do any job that places them in “mortal danger” are you a hypocrite if you think those jobs need to be done (president, soldier, cop, firefighter, doctor, power line worker, etc.).

Finally, and this is a very important question, are there ANY jobs that you would advise your child to stay away from? Would you give your child ANY advice?

[Nerm]

I’ll give a real world example that I have encountered in my own life. My mother has been volunteering to provide medical services in the 3rd world. I have advised her not to do this because of the risks to her personal safety.

For those who see the logic in the original article, do I need to oppose all American medical aid to the 3rd world to avoid being a hypocrite?

I agree with Mr. Bush’s efforts to fight AIDS in Africa, but I do not want to see my mother place her life at risk to provide medical aid in places that are dangerous.

Do I need to be willing to sacrifice a family member for EVERY political cause I support?

You know, maybe I should start a new thread. The thread would be simple. Just list the political positions you have which you would be willing to give the life of your children to see implemented. Any takers?

I have a feeling that the thread would be a lot shorter than the Daily Babe thread.

[NavyDave]

There are a bunch of patriotic obese, felons and gender challenged types that will never serve or be allowed to but will support us.

And apparently we dont have recruiting troubles, based on last months results we are above the set quotas.

[twa]

Interesting article that reinforces what I have witnessed lately:

Unusual recruits

IRAQ: Comedians and peace moms take note: even as the casualty list grows, Ivy Leaguers and honor students are signing up to serve | by Lynn Vincent

As you're reading this, National Honor Society member Caity Swanson, 18, of Audubon, N.J., is likely cranking out one . . . more . . . pushup . . . under the stern eye of an Army drill sergeant at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. Princeton University senior Ross Williams, 21, is finalizing his plans to check out of the Ivy League and into the Marine Corps. And Congressional Award winner Asher Strassner, 18, just shipped out from his home in Houston to Navy boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill.

When Mr. Strassner signed up to begin basic training in August, he had no way of knowing the month would prove a brutal one in Iraq. American forces so far this month have lost at least 63 souls, including three Tennessee National Guard soldiers from the 278th Regimental Combat Team, who died Aug. 14 in a rocket-propelled grenade attack.

Families of the fallen grieve, some bitterly, like Cindy Sheehan, who since Aug. 6 has staged a mini war-protest outside George W. Bush's Texas ranch. Others, like Gary Reese of Ashland, Tenn., grieve proudly. His son, Sgt. Gary Lee Reese, 22, of the 278th, "is the only one from the town to die in the war," Mr. Reese told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "He is someone I'm really proud to be the father of."

Mr. Reese believes "bad-mouthing" the war dishonors the dead. Meanwhile, even as casualties mount, thousands of young people are still signing up to serve, with only the Army and National Guard now falling short of recruiting goals. When widespread shortfalls made news earlier this year, comedian Bill Maher used the occasion to reinforce the stereotype that America scrapes its military from the bottom of the population barrel.

Quota-missing Army recruiters had, Mr. Maher quipped, "done picked all the low-lying Lyndie England fruit. And now we need warm bodies."

Ms. England, of course, is accused of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib. And Mr. Maher isn't the first person to suggest that the U.S. military is mainly a refuge for the depraved or desperate. In a May 2003 graduation speech at Rockford College, New York Times reporter Chris Hedges said the nation's fighting forces are made up mostly of "poor kids from Mississippi or Alabama or Texas who could not get a decent job or health insurance and joined the Army because it was all we offered them."

Is the military stereotype accurate? Karl Zinsmeister doesn't think so. During three stints as an embedded reporter in Iraq—the most recent in May 2005—the American Enterprise editor-in-chief met farm boys, poor boys, and boys escaping dead-end blue-collar towns. But he also encountered Cornell grads, Ph.D. candidates, and high-tech wunderkinds, and wrote about them in his 2003 book Boots on the Ground.

It was love, not desperation or a lack of prospects, that propelled honor student and all-state vocalist Caity Swanson into the Army: love of language. As a junior, Caity's 3.9 GPA qualified her for the National Honor Society, while A's in Spanish earned her acceptance into the Spanish National Honor Society. She realized she wanted to pursue foreign-language translation as a vocation, and she began exploring colleges that offered a major in linguistics. But though her parents earn a good living—dad Chuck works in the pharmaceutical industry and mom Andria is an R.N.—good programs were too expensive.

Then as a senior, Caity, like thousands of American high-school students, took the military entrance exam. An Army recruiter saw her score—93 out of 99—and called her last December. That's when she learned about her dream school: The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, Calif., the largest foreign language school in the world.

After careful discussion with her parents, Caity enlisted. She's now looking forward to learning a new language by immersion, packing two weeks of traditional college instruction into each day during the year-long course, and learning from native speakers. "The way they teach a foreign language is the way I want to learn it," she said.

She doesn't know which language yet—the military assigns that based on a student's ability and the government's need. But it's likely to be a tough one: Caity blew away the Defense Language Battery, qualifying her to learn any language the Institute offers, including those considered most difficult, like Chinese or Arabic.

With the war on terrorism, and Middle Eastern languages high on the Defense Department's wish list, is Caity worried she'll wind up in Iraq? "Wherever the Army sends me, I'm fine," she said in a June 30 phone interview, five days before heading out for boot camp. "God is in control. Whatever He wants for me, that's what I'm going to do."

Houston homeschool graduate Asher Strassner feels the same way. In February he enlisted in the Navy as a hospital corpsman and signed up for Fleet Marine Forces (FMF) training, a school he hopes will land him a job as a combat medic in Iraq.

"When other people ask me how scared I am, I tell them not at all," he said. "That might seem like the typical teen who thinks he's invincible. But if it's my time to die, I will, whether it's in Iraq or crossing the street. . . . If God wants me to live only 18 or 19 years—or to be 100—it's up to Him."

Asher told WORLD his job is to glorify God, not himself. He seems to have been busy about that task, chalking up high grades and high scores on college aptitude tests. In June, he earned the Congressional Award, an honor Congress established in 1979 to recognize initiative, achievement, and service in young people.

To win it, Asher completed a two-year program: He volunteered for 450 hours in a Houston hospital, learned horticulture and landscaping, became a top-ranked junior golfer, and organized a camping expedition that followed the Texas Independence Trail.

Not exactly your Maher-style military down-and-outer. So Asher surprised even himself when he decided to join the Navy. "Weeks before I enlisted, I never would have considered the military," he said. "My friends were surprised . . . but I didn't think I was ready for college. I thought if I went to college in the fall, I'd end up goofing off and getting bad grades."

Bound for boot camp this month, then corpsman and FMF training, Asher could touch down in Iraq late next year. He's hoping that's where he winds up.

"I have a friend in the Army who just got back and he's always telling us that the negative stuff we hear in the media [about American progress in Iraq] is 99 percent made up," Asher said. "He tells about all the Iraqis who love the Americans. . . . I think that's very interesting. I'd like to see that myself."

Ross Williams would like to see it, too, which is why the Princeton senior chose the Marine Corps, a ground force, instead of a more high-tech but remote branch like the Air Force or the Navy. "It's more personal. You interact more with the culture you're protecting," Ross said. "I didn't want to go into the service looking for a spot where I'd feel more comfortable. I wanted to choose the spot I'll get most out of."

If his resumé is any indication, Ross, 21, will give as much as he gets. At his high school in Oyster Bay, N.Y.—a small town he describes as "close enough to New York City that you could smell September 11"—he served as student body president and graduated third in his class with a 4.0 GPA. He also earned all-state honors in vocal competition and made the all-county team as a long-distance runner.

Now a Princeton political science major who rows for his school's nationally ranked crew team, Ross had originally been accepted to West Point. "But I was told by a couple of cadets that if I wanted any sort of academic college life, I should go to a different school."

After completing his degree next spring, Ross plans to attend a 10-week officer training course in Quantico, Va., then accept a Marine Corps commission. His grandfather served as a Marine during World War II, and Ross said he also feels a call to serve his country, to do "something I'd enjoy looking back on, something I could be proud that I'd done."

•http://www.worldmag.com/subscriber/displayarticle.cfm?id=10974

[milliondollarslim]

so many of us have not been asked or required to make ANY sacrifices for the war effort (not even taxes). so many of our political leaders have in some way dodged combat or not served. i also think that you have to trust that your country's leaders will not ask for the ultimate risk or sacrifice from its soldiers without just cause. i think that trust has been violated. i think the loyalty, bravery, patriotism, courage and trust of our troops has been severely taken advantage of by the powers that be.